


A Step to Shimmering Ice

by xAoneko



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gen, Gore/violence, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Music Video: Obsession (EXO), implied CBX
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28187847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xAoneko/pseuds/xAoneko
Summary: To Xiumin, the rain is the harbinger of his demise. To Minseok, it is the bringer of hope.
Kudos: 18
Collections: Vargavinter Round 1





	A Step to Shimmering Ice

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt ID:** VV1-121  
>  **Prompt:** When the rain came he felt the blood on his skin wash away. He is painted in blood, his past is dark, his mind is broken. He feels that he will never reach the light or find life. The tunnel is dark but he'll get there... one step at a time

The hanging corpses make Minseok sick.

The coppery stench of blood permeates the air, hanging thick and heavy around the willow tree. The dark liquid drips from the branches, staining the snow at the tree’s roots a deep mahogany.

Minseok can’t bring himself to lift his head, ashamed and frustrated because he had let the bloodlust take over again. Xiumin, on the other hand, stands proudly before the gory display, face tilted up and eyes closed as he silently relishes in the bloody rain that stains his skin.

The sound of dripping blood grows louder, but the scent is fading. Confused, Xiumin’s eyes snap open.

The rain—the one coming from the heavens and not the exhibit Xiumin set up—is washing away the blood, replacing the smell of copper with that of cold springs and fresh snow.

Xiumin hates it. The rain suppresses the blood that he had painstakingly gathered, leaving the air smelling far too bland for his tastes. More importantly, however, this rain belongs to someone else.

There is another intruder on his mountain. Two of them, in fact, standing right on the opposite side of the willow tree.

The desire for blood in Xiumin sings. There will be two more bodies to add to his willow tree today.

_Ah. He’s killed someone again._

_It’s always the younger ones who come looking for him, thinking that they’re stronger or luckier than those before them, deluding themselves into thinking they can kill him and become the heroes who brought down the Tyrant of Crimson Snow._

_Xiumin laughs and carves out their hearts with cold and merciless claws, stringing the beating organs and the half-dead bodies up in the bare-branched willow at the bottom of his mountain. Their flesh, blood, and bones can feed the dying tree so it can carry more of their foolish companions._

_Minseok carefully lowers the corpses from the branches and gives them a proper burial._

The moment he had laid eyes on them, Minseok knew that the men standing before him are not like Xiumin’s previous opponents. They watch him with quiet confidence, even after seeing the bodies hanging from the willow, and as if that isn’t enough, the taller one raises an arm and sweeps his hand towards the tree. Ravenous flames spew forth in an arc, transforming the willow into a crackling, bright-orange beacon. The light casts flickering shadows over the man’s face. The man meets Xiumin’s gaze, and the challenge in his eyes shines all the brighter.

Xiumin bares his teeth and snarls. Ice sprouts over his forearms and hands, trembling in anticipation of blood as they curl into talons. His gaze flicks from one intruder to the other. If the taller one uses fire, then his companion must be the one who brought the irritating rain. It’s a challenge to Xiumin’s domain and authority.

The claws extending from Xiumin’s hands sharpen. If the intruders want to court death, then he will gladly grant their desire.

The man of fire meets him halfway, unsheathing a sword that spits searing flames from the blade. Xiumin’s icy claws collide with the fire and the hiss of steam reaches his ears. Shocked, Xiumin kicks the man away and retreats until there is a safe distance between them. Looking down at his claws, his eyes widen in disbelief.

The claws that used to be capable of plucking out a man’s eyeballs with ease have been reduced to nubs.

Minseok hardly dares to believe it.

The man of fire is charging at him again. Realizing the danger, Xiumin switches to ranged combat, summoning icy spikes from the ground to impede the man’s path. The obstacles do almost nothing as the man’s fiery blade cuts them down with ease.

Then, the light of the flames illuminates the man’s face. Minseok sees the bloodthirsty expression, one of cruelty minimally controlled, and realizes that this man is just like him.

Well, not completely like him, seeing that this man seems to be able to suppress some of his lust for killing. It’s enough to make Minseok bitter with envy.

If only he could control Xiumin. Then, Baekhyun and Jongdae might have stayed.

_Minseok kneels at the table, not daring to look up and face the identical expressions of disappointment, worry, and fear on Baekhyun and Jongdae’s faces._

_“What should we do?” Jongdae asks, finger tapping an anxious rhythm on the tabletop. “The townspeople aren’t willing to turn a blind eye anymore. They want Minseok-hyung gone.”_

_Baekhyun snorts and crosses his arms. “Can you blame them after what hyung did the other day? We can’t ask them to keep tolerating us when Minseok-hyung is pulling stunts like_ that _. We need to find a way to resolve this issue of his.”_

_“But how?” Jongdae counters, “Neither of us know what in the world is wrong with him. The townspeople don’t even want to approach us, let alone talk to us. At this rate, hyung is going to kill us in one of his fits before we can help him.”_

_Jongdae’s words send a shiver up Minseok’s spine. He hates how he cannot refute them, cannot confidently say that he would never hurt Jongdae or Baekhyun, no matter how crazed Xiumin gets in his bloodlust._

_When Xiumin seizes control, his word is law._

_Minseok chances a glance at them and sees Baekhyun meeting Jongdae’s stare with a steady gaze of his own. They exchange a silent message, and Jongdae slumps in his seat with a resigned sigh._

_Minseok wants to know what they’re telling each other, so he works up his courage and hesitantly asks, “What’s wrong?”_

_“It’s nothing.” Jongdae brushes the question off with a strained smile. “Just thinking about how we can help you stop having those fits.”_

_Minseok knows Jongdae isn’t telling the full truth, and something like this never used to be a problem. Anxiety sets in, and Minseok fears that they’re planning to leave him._

_Xiumin watches him with amusement from the depths of his mind as Minseok squirms in worry, and Minseok swears that he’s going to fight his hardest if Xiumin tries to wrest control from his grasp. He’ll figure out how to suppress him and prove to everyone that he isn’t a threat. He’ll make sure those fits of violence don’t last._

_He’s supposed to get better, so how is it that Jongdae’s blood is dripping from his fingers?_

_Jongdae leans against the tree, one hand clutching at the deep gashes that split open his side. His face is contorted in a grimace, and pained gasps leave his mouth as rivulets of blood oozes from his wound, seeping into his clothes so deeply that the stains would be impossible to wash out._

_Baekhyun stands between the two of them, sword unsheathed and pointed at Minseok. “I think it’s best for all of us if you keep your distance, hyung,” he says calmly as he reaches behind to support Jongdae. Together, the two of them back away from Minseok._

_Minseok’s throat goes dry. “Baekhyun,” he rasps, reaching out with his bloodied hands and recoiling when Baekhyun’s sword flashes. “Baekhyun, it was an accident, I_ swear—”

_“I am well aware.” Baekhyun’s response is cold. “And that is exactly why we can’t stay with you any longer.”_

_They don’t give him a chance to defend himself or even beg them to stay._

_He doesn’t even know if Jongdae made it._

Xiumin refuses to admit defeat, even when all of his ice has been melted and his palms scorched by the unrelenting flames. The man of fire stands over him, sword still alight with the flames that show no sign of dying anytime soon, yet Xiumin gathers the ice—now far more brittle than before—in his hands before lunging again.

The man raises his sword, ready to parry the attack, but there is no need. Taking advantage of Xiumin’s weakened state, Minseok surges forward and, for the first time in months, fights to take back control. It’s not an easy endeavor, even with Xiumin caught off guard and weakened, but Minseok eventually succeeds.

He dispels the ice and kneels before the man of fire, relieved that someone can finally put him out of his misery.

The killing blow never comes, but Minseok can hear the faint crunch of footsteps approaching. He looks up to see that the man of fire had lowered his blade and is looking in the direction of the burning willow.

The man’s companion, the bringer of the rain, has moved from his spot by the tree. The footsteps are his as he strides forward until he stands before Minseok and gazes down at him with a kind smile.

“Kim Minseok-ssi?”

Minseok starts. No one who has come on the mountain before had ever spoken his name.

The bringer of the rain speaks with a gentleness that is almost foreign to Minseok. “We’ve been searching for you for weeks now. It’s a good thing that we met some people who could point us in the right direction.”

Minseok swallows and rasps, “…You were looking for me?”

The bringer of the rain lowers himself to mimic Minseok’s kneeling position, not minding the cold snow seeping into the fabric of his pants. “Do the names Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae sound familiar to you?”

Minseok’s eyes widen, and that is enough to tell the bringer of rain what he wants to know. The warm smile on the man’s face never wavers as he explains, “They found us some time ago and told us about you, begged us to find you and help you.” He sifts a hand through the snow. “So here we are. My name is Kim Junmyeon, and the one you fought with is Park Chanyeol.”

Xiumin suddenly surges up, snarling at the name of the one who had so thoroughly beaten him. Minseok flounders for a moment, and in the split second it takes for him to regain control, his icy claws are reaching over Junmyeon’s shoulder and Chanyeol’s blade is at his throat.

Minseok freezes and the horror of what just happened runs far colder than any wintry chill. Chanyeol is gazing down at him with a steely look, and Minseok can feel the searing heat emanating from his sword even though there are no flames.

Junmyeon, however, remains tranquil and undisturbed, like the smooth surface of a mountain pool. He acts as though he wouldn’t have died if he had been half a second too slow in pushing Minseok’s hand to the side. Instead, he gestures to Chanyeol, and the latter lowers his blade and takes a step back.

“I’m sure you must have realized it while fighting Chanyeol,” Junmyeon continues with not a quiver in his voice, “but we’re like you, Minseok-ssi.”

His eyes find Minseok’s and there is bloodlust swirling in the black depths of Junmyeon’s pupils, but Junmyeon’s gentleness never wavers and gives way to the savagery that demands to be let loose.

“We know what you’re going through,” Junmyeon says as he stands up and brushes the snow off his pants. “We can help you control it, so you can live a life where you’re not hunted and feared as the Tyrant of Crimson Snow. After all, it can’t be fun living on a cold mountain by yourself.”

He looks down at Minseok and extends a hand. “The choice is yours, Minseok-ssi. Do you accept?”

Minseok looks at Junmyeon’s hand, the hand that offers him a fresh start. He can remember the life he led before Xiumin appeared, one filled with Baekhyun’s and Jongdae’s bright laughter and the sun’s warm rays. Minseok will be able to live around other people again, no longer having to hole up in an isolated place so that he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Xiumin stirs, trying to steer Minseok away as he whispers promises of death should Minseok take Junmyeon’s hand. However, his threats are drowned out by the steady hiss of Junmyeon’s rain that continues to fall from the sky, cleansing the mountain of Xiumin’s sins.

And thus, Minseok reaches out and takes Junmyeon’s hand.

May the rain wash his slate clean and bring about a new beginning.


End file.
